With society slowly opening and grocery stores no longer filled with hordes of scavengers attempting to corner the market on paper goods, shopping is a bit easier. It opens one up to going to other venues and taking care of errands other than food and medicine. As I now sport a multi mask wardrobe, I can coordinate my protection to my outfit. Tres chic.
Only decorating the eyes allows some interesting explorations into the make-up world, something our middle eastern sisters have perfected over the centuries. For example, when getting a blood test I asked the phlebotomist how things were going. She thoughtfully answered, "I really notice people's eyes now". Cool but what about watching where that nasty little needle is going as I gaze at my multi-colored bruise that has been extending slowly across the entire real estate of my inside elbow? But I'm glad I made the effort and did my eye make-up.
Digress: have you of the masculine persuasion ever pondered the difficulties of a woman filling the good old urine specimen thimble? You dudes just aim and shoot. We ladies need to "guess" where the best stream is located and after much fumbling around manage to catch a small sample, thoroughly wetting our hand in the process. Ah well, not fatal I suppose.
Tried the "touchless, contactless, human less" pickup at Best Buy. I could swear I was just in their store the other week but now instead of going in I had to follow extremely LARGE arrows in a fun little circle to have a couple of dudes toss my teeny-tiny little package into my trunk. They think they know who I am. I think I got the right product. Nobody knows, because of the touchless, contactless, human less process named above.
Next needed repairs to my trusty electric broom. I know old-fashioned. But I have tile floors as I have a tendency to pace up to 9, 10 miles a day and tile works great. Note to fans. Always check if a location is open or has special hours or just call! In the age of pandemic normal is not normal. Went all the way over there to find they are not open on Wednesday, arrghh.
Back Thursday, properly masked, peering into the darkened interior and assuming another wasted trip although the sign said they were open. A clerk came scurrying out the door also properly masked. He proceeded to manhandle my little vac all the while claiming they are a bunch of crap and never last more than a year. I gently pointed out I bought it at his "crap" shop because my other Riccar vac was so good. Oh the old stuff yes. Meanwhile he is opening up compartments and spilling two years of assorted fluff and dirt all over the sidewalk instantly marking me as a house pig I guess. I do clean it out I just never imagined it had so many hidden nooks and crannies. He filled out the paperwork and "whisked" (vacuum pun) it away to the bowels of the shop.
After several years of not actually losing or leaving behind my "cheater" bi-focal sunglasses, I of course managed to destroy them in the midst of pandemic. Love those things as they allow me to read on the beach or in the car and still look cool. Especially since I do not have to wear glasses otherwise. Apparently sunglass shacks, etc. are not considered "essential" as they were not open. The optical shops want a prescription so they can grind them right and apparently telling them I don't wear glasses just leads to a repetition of they need a prescription; I don't wear glasses; we need a prescription - like that old vaudeville bit about "I can't pay the rent" "you must pay the rent"(ends with a hero entering to pay the rent apparently) Goodness, I have had polycarbonate protective eyewear for construction sites that had bifocals built in. I was not going to fork over $300 for non-prescription sunglasses!
Opticians are considered "quasi-medical" establishments so you only make two steps inside before you are attacked by the temperature police. Everyone seems to have these cool thermometers that can shoot a beam from 10 feet away. Cleared to enter Ma'am. I don't mind them trying to do the right thing although any asymptomatic person may not have a fever anyway.
Of course the whole food pick-up thing is a challenge. Everyone has their own system and it's a guess what the rules of the game are. So eating whatever is in the freezer is the first choice.
Sir Pizza is ruined after their two person in the shop rule is immediately compromised when one person decides to stay inside and wait for their pie. Then its anyone's guess when yours is ready as you are now hovering six feet from anyone outside even though YOU CALLED AHEAD.
A favorite spot in Gun Lake was a total fiasco last weekend. First the food foragers (FF) of our group went to get barbecue at a restaurant two hours after they opened to find they were sold out. Ordered from the second place and there was a 60 minute wait. Fine. We have beer and wine at home for appetizers. The FFs headed back out for the order to find a packed venue and pizza boxes piled up to the ceiling threatening to cascade to the floor. At one point they started putting the takeout boxes on the floor! Meanwhile the phone keeps ringing, the people keep coming and the lone clerk takes 10 minutes to check each person out often grabbing the latest box to sell rather than the folks waiting, for the most part, good-humoredly, for their order they can see piled precariously on the take-out tower behind her.
The gentleman next to my group had been patiently waiting two and a half hours and could actually see his order behind the clerk. When asked why he hadn't given up he said "No doggone it, I'm going to see this thing through". It was cold. LOL. Oh yes, side note. Small town and all. Not ONE person was wearing a mask including the restaurant employees except my folks. When you're one of the only games (restaurants) in town......c'est la vie!
Glad to have several styles of masks as I think this is going to be the new normal for the foreseeable future.
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